She's covered it all: the hajib as power

Last month when I posted "I don't know my Somali neighbors," I never imagined the outpouring of positive responses. I did not imagine Somali and other East African people reaching out to me (and my readers) with information, perspective, and with open hands of friendship. But they did. And my world is forever changed.

In particular I've met and embraced a kindred spirit - Nimo Farah - a young, fierce, open-hearted woman who reposted my blog, offered up her wisdom, and then invited me for coffee. Since then we have begun the journey of real friendship, our commonalities of the soul far outweighing the differences of culture, age, religious practice, and lived experiences.

New friends, old souls, kindred spirits

I had the chance to hear Nimo read her poetry recently and she lit the room on fire with her passion. I am very excited that she has agreed to guest post one of those poems here.

So please welcome Nimo Farah. I invite you to find a place to sit down, perhaps with a cup of tea, to take in this amazing poem.

~~~

Covered

by Nimo Farah

She's covered it all

Draped body dancing freely

The breeze moved her layers of colorful textiles

Intermingling with the air

The trees embrace her

And the sun baths her

She belongs with them without a battle

But in the gray concrete jungle, she does not blend

You spot her from a mile, get nervous by her style

She doesn't pretend

You wish she did not stand out or blend in

There is no pleasing you without baring the skin

You want her to be normal

to blend with them

You think you are the judge of normal

But she's got a normal all her own.

She's covered it all

You wonder who this woman is

And who does she think she is?

She's covered it all,

And you want to be the judge of her beauty

So you scan her up and down

Fashion foreign to you

Her style flows like the Nile

No price on her apparel

No names or nouns for her attire

You see nothing familiar using your eyes

And you're not really concerned with who she really is

Or her intelligence

If every you're willing to spot her soul, she's willing to wear a smile

But you'd rather strip away her garments

Like a peeled fruit you want to leave her naked

But she knows the fate of a peeled fruit

Caressed by the air it is delicate and darkens

You want to caress her with your eyes

Spoil her with your stare

You wonder who this woman is

And who does she think she is?

She's covered it all.

You spot her in the hot summer sun

She continues not to share her skin

You wonder how she withstands the temper of the sun

She's brave with her ways but you want her to be free

So that she can dance in your dreams

You want to separate her body from spirit

Have one without the other

She resists like leaves resisting the wind

You wonder who this woman is 

And who does she think she is?

She's covered it all.

And this you should know

Her garments are powerful!

They connect her with her mother

They're holy scripture

Linking her to the essence and strength of her creator

She loves the texture

And when she ties her scarves with her dresses

She makes strong ropes, escapes wars

Covered up she is superwoman

Walking through violent raindrops, sandstorms

And even bullets.

Her garments are more than material

They tell the stories of her struggle

As she roamed the world chasing peace

Her garments covered her scars

And healed her battle wounds

It is the hijab that was her shield from fear

The hijab that was her security blanket as an infant

Sentimental and sacred

And a test and a protest!

And if you are really wondering who this woman is

She is a woman warrior

With her hijab as her cape!

She's covered it all.

And honestly you don't care to know the depth beyond her exterior

So you bully her with your gaze

Til she shows you inches of her skin

But she's not

Not that kind of woman

She's a woman warrior with her hijab as her cape

And her powers remain a secret

She's covered it all.


~~~


Nimo Farah embraces her experiences as a refugee-Muslim-woman living in America but believes the human spirit it too multi-dimensional to categorize and classify. Exposed to many cultures and struggles, she is inspired to write about and celebrate the resilience, complexity, and compassion of the human spirit. She aspires to be a keeper of her ancestors' rich oral traditions and mother tongue; both are at the brink of being endangered.

Fierce poet, Minnesota style 

Dancing at the Red Sea

"She is a woman warrior with her hajib as her cape..."